Softwares needed on mac?

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Hi,

I have totally been a Windows guy till now, and do not have much knowledge about Macs. I am planning to go for Macbook unibody now. But I am not sure if I need to buy any other extra softwares along with it. My main considerations are:

1. Microsoft Office compatibility
2. For photo editing I'll be using PS only.

Can anyone here help me in understanding, as to what all softwares/applications come with Mac as default? And what all do we need to buy extra for general usage? Do I need any antivirus (oops I am from Windows world :( )? How can I install windows on Mac, if I ever need to? Do I need any other specific softwares for that?

Any help in understanding the Mac world is highly appreciated.

Edit: I am planning for Macbook 13.3'' 2.0 GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB. Is this a good configuration for Mac?

Thanks

[Pete]

Hi there Deepak.

1) There is a version of MS Office for the Mac produced (I use mine frequently). There are other (cheaper) alternatives that also boast full compatibility with the Windows equivalent products.

2) There is a Photoshop version for Mac also. You might also look at Aperture.

3) Take a look at the Apple website for information on buying a Mac and transitioning from a PC -- http://www.apple.com/getamac/faq/

4) There's no need for Antivirus on a Mac. Although there have been instances of Viruses/Worms being written for Macs, their occurance rate is so low that it's not worth bogging your system down by using an Anti-Virus product.

5) Yes, you can install Windows on a Mac (provided you have a Windows license to do so). Look at Bootcamp or Parallels (I use Parallels myself as it's far more flexible).

[MaxxuM]

Pete pretty much summed it up... So I'll just chime in on what I have installed on my MacBook Pro. My Mac Pro is about the same way.

Besides iLife and the typical Mac software I have installed:

Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Image Editing/Art)
Apple Aperture 2 (Photo Workflow)
Picasa 3 (Just to make photo cd's for work) - Free
Apple Final Cut Studio 2 (Video/3d Motion editing)
HandBreak (Neat little program to convert movie files) - Free
NeoOffice (Very good Office alternative) - Free
NVu (HTML editor) - Free
Vuze (Torrent Downloader) - Free
EyeTV (Cable/TV)
VMWare Fusion (Virtual PC to run WIn7, XP and Linux)
OnyX (System Utility/Cleanup) - Free
Snaps Pro X (Screen Capture)
Little Snitch (Firewall)
UnRARX (RAR for Mac) - Free
CandyBar (Makes OS X look even better)
FireFox (Of course) - Free
Spyder2Express (Somthing's better than nothing)
TubeTV (Because I'm a thief) - Free
VLC (Quicktime Doesn't Play it all) - Free
Quicktime Pro (Because I can convert in HQ & save MOVs)
Windows XP (Need it for work) - Virtual PC
Windows 7 (Because I'm a developer) - Virtual PC

If there is not at "- Free" behind it then it costs something.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Thanks guys. That was a real help. From what you guys mentioned, I think I can start with just the basic version. Later as per the need, I can go for MS Office for Mac.

Maxxum, Can I have a VMWare on Mac for Windows OS? What is the best way on Mac to have dual boot capability, say I want to access all the files from both the OS (one at a time). Will Bootcamp be a help here?

Pete, why exactly do you prefer Parallels over Bootcamp? Can you please mention some pros and cons?

Thanks.

Also, can you please comment on the Mac configuration that I mentioned in my first post? Will this be a good one? I donot see myself doing real heavy PP or editing. Also I need a easy to carry laptop, which is the main reason to go for 13.3''

[wlescall]

MaxxuM has listed most of what I have. Actually with the exception of Final Cut Studio and EyeTV, I've got the same applications.

Open Office is another free alternative to MS Office.
Try iPhoto and see if it fits your workflow. If you don't want to go into the depth of Photoshop, you can try Photoshop Elements (approx $100).

I'm not sure what you budget is but right now there is an aluminum unibody MacBook in the Apple Store for refurbs for $1299. Same specs as yours but 12% more processor speed. Add 4 GB RAM for about $60.

To run windows using Bootcamp, you have to reboot into Bootcamp and startup into Windows.

I use VMWare Fusion to use Windows. Windows then runs in a separate window (talk about irony) on my desktop. I can easily bring documents from one OS to the other without having to reboot.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Thanks Bill. Is it safe to look out for refurb? Somehow I have a view point, that companies put refurbs after fixing some issues with the original piece (may be minor fixes). Is that true?

Also, what is the best way to upgrade RAM? Should I upgrade while buying from apple itself, or buy the memory separately to save some green?

[Titus213]

I would check the warranty offered on the refurb - I think it's the same as new. From the Apple.com store.

I was a bit apprehensive about upgrading the memory on my MacBook. Turned out to be a snap. You just need a good, small screw driver.

The instructions are in the user's manual.

[MaxxuM]

Thanks guys. That was a real help. From what you guys mentioned, I think I can start with just the basic version. Later as per the need, I can go for MS Office for Mac.

Maxxum, Can I have a VMWare on Mac for Windows OS? What is the best way on Mac to have dual boot capability, say I want to access all the files from both the OS (one at a time). Will Bootcamp be a help here?

Pete, why exactly do you prefer Parallels over Bootcamp? Can you please mention some pros and cons?

Thanks.

Also, can you please comment on the Mac configuration that I mentioned in my first post? Will this be a good one? I donot see myself doing real heavy PP or editing. Also I need a easy to carry laptop, which is the main reason to go for 13.3''

Thanks Bill. Is it safe to look out for refurb? Somehow I have a view point, that companies put refurbs after fixing some issues with the original piece (may be minor fixes). Is that true?

Also, what is the best way to upgrade RAM? Should I upgrade while buying from apple itself, or buy the memory separately to save some green?

You have two options - Bootcamp or Virtualization. Bootcamp is a dual boot method. Either you're doing PC or your in Mac mode. The two OSes cannot directly talk to each other but can share files using a few method but the most recommended is using FAT32 partition. I use VMWare only because I really don't do much intensive work on the PC side. I use network tools like Active Directory snap-ins and MS Office 2007. VMWare is much slower than using Bootcamp - but I don't care much. If you want to run Photoshop or games then Bootcamp is the best way to go.

Refurbished computers can come from just about anywhere. They could have been displays at an Apple Store, laptops that were on lease, lemons sent back by customers... The list goes on and on. The short of it is this, they are put back together with Apple parts and have the same warranty as any other Apple product (1yr). I personally would buy one... and have :)

It used to be that Apple liked to over price their RAM. Not any more. They a are on par with most mid-level quality RAM these days. You'll save around 5% if you go with a third party. If it's worth the 5% savings, then go ahead, but that 5% goes toward the Apple Care coverage. I would buy from Apple.

What I would NOT buy from Apple however is any software besides the OS. You'll save a good penny by getting your software from Amazon, and if you're a student (or know one) then you'll want to buy from an Academic Store and save even more. I got my Photoshop CS4 for $198 - full version - from the Academic Superstore online. Final Cut Studio 2 however is a bulk license from work :)

[wlescall]

Refurbs from the Apple Store are as good as new - they have even been tested. They have a new 1 year warranty.I have bought several over the years and never had a problem. I once even had an iMac with a 'silent' upgrade: it came with extra RAM, a larger HD, and better video card for the same price. YMMV.

[Pete]

I like Parallels because it's very similar in the way that Virtual Machines work on the PC. The guest OS is just a virtualised file. Because I don't use my Vista build that much (I only really used it so that I could connect my Zune to my Mac), I put the Vista OS VM image onto an external USB drive. That way, I didn't have to sacrifice the few Gb of disk-space on the Mac for something I didn't use that much.

Also, Parallels make it dead easy to work with. Copy/Paste/Drag/Drop between Mac and Vista, and the use of shared drives either way.

You can even overlay Vista onto Mac OS:-
http://the-aperture.com/mac-vista-screen.jpg

But for ease of use, I simply made Vista full screen and assigned it to it's own "Space" in OSX.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Aha. Seems like refurbs can be real good options. I'll check if I can grab some good deal. Thanks a lot guys for all the help. I think I am better now :)

[Razeus]

I'm almost 1 year owning a Mac. The only software you need to buy for the Mac is:

Microsoft Office 2008
Photoshop Elements 6 OR Photoshop CS4

That's all you need. If fact, that's the only software you would need if you were on Windows. I find that these 2 programs are the only software left worth paying for. The "upgrade" software business model is becoming obsolete. It's one of the reasons why Microsoft is having such a hard time getting people to move from XP to Vista. Because frankly, software nowadays (acutally the previous version of the software!) does everything you need it to do and does it well. The software doesn't automatically stop working because a new version comes out.

Mac comes with everything else you would want for software and of course you can download other "essential" programs (Quicksilver, VLC for example).

I will be adding Lightroom (even though I think Adobe charges WAY too much) since I'm getting deeper into photography.

[Titus213]

I've found OpenOffice does all that I need of an office suite and it's free. And it reads and writes MS files, documents and spreadsheets.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Dave, does it support MS documents both ways? I mean are the files generated with OpenOffice fully compatible with MS Office? Any known version dependency?

[Tony-S]

I hate Office 2008. It is buggy. I've become a big fan of iWork.

[MaxxuM]

Dave, does it support MS documents both ways? I mean are the files generated with OpenOffice fully compatible with MS Office? Any known version dependency?

Not sure about Open Office, but NeoOffice does. It even supports the new Office 2007 document type (docx). There are some unsupported structures but for the most part you wont miss them and if you will then you know more about Office than I do and could probably answer your own questions :)

I have Office 2007 via VMWare on my Mac's but I very rarely use them and then only for Excel. Truth it, nothing out there can compete with Microsoft's Excel - I've looked :(

[Titus213]

The last I encountered it OpenOffice did not support docx. I have not run into any other issues in either directions. Open and save as commands result in a list of possible doc types which include Word 6.0 thru 2007 on my version. I've used the spreadsheet for some large formula stuff and all works fine.

Perhaps I should investigate NeoOffice a bit.

Then again, NeoOffice - A free software port of OpenOffice.org to the MacOS X platform. I'm getting confused with the two systems I'm running. OpenOffice is on my Windows platform....sorry about that.

[Tony-S]

I have Office 2007 via VMWare on my Mac's but I very rarely use them and then only for Excel. Truth it, nothing out there can compete with Microsoft's Excel - I've looked :(

Numbers 09 in iWork has improved dramatically (as has Pages). Right now, the only advantage Excel has for my purposes is its stats pack. But then again I use a dedicated statistics package for those analyses.

[MaxxuM]

The last I encountered it OpenOffice did not support docx. I have not run into any other issues in either directions. Open and save as commands result in a list of possible doc types which include Word 6.0 thru 2007 on my version. I've used the spreadsheet for some large formula stuff and all works fine.

Perhaps I should investigate NeoOffice a bit.

Then again, NeoOffice - A free software port of OpenOffice.org to the MacOS X platform. I'm getting confused with the two systems I'm running. OpenOffice is on my Windows platform....sorry about that.

Yep, NeoOffice is ported from Open Office, but they have retooled it completely to work flawlessly with Mac's. It has the look and feel of OS X vs Open Office which is still mainly PC geared. NeoOffice is in constant development. You should give it a try.

Numbers 09 in iWork has improved dramatically (as has Pages). Right now, the only advantage Excel has for my purposes is its stats pack. But then again I use a dedicated statistics package for those analyses.

Office 2007 Suite is free for me - we have a Corp. lic.. Maybe it's because I've been using it so long that it comes so natural. When I use NeoOffice I trip all over their methods and it get's worse when I try Apple's suite. I tried Apple's suite but just couldn't get into it. Though pretty it just didn't have many of the tools I've grown to love with MS Office. One simple thing is being able to right click words to look them up. In OS X there are extra steps that I hate having to do.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Well said. I just cant think of parting off from MS Office. Not that I dont want to try Apple's suite, but I would rather stick with MS for it has all that I ever need. Plus I just dont stand any chance of not going with MS, for its a world wide standard in my work area. So I am just trying to look out for the best possible options to work with MS Office. I'll definitely give NeoOffice a try once I get my Mac. If I am not happy, VMWare is always a choice :)

[René Damkot]

FYI: You can switch your PS license from PC to Mac, but you cannot use one licence to run PS on both platforms.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

BTW, any comments about the glossy screen on Macbook? I am planning for macbook 13'' (as I love travelling light). Is this glossy screen good for normal PP? Any review comments from the macbook users?

[MaxxuM]

BTW, any comments about the glossy screen on Macbook? I am planning for macbook 13'' (as I love travelling light). Is this glossy screen good for normal PP? Any review comments from the macbook users?

Highly personal choice - no one will be able to tell you how you'll react to it. Best way is just to go in and experiment with the floor models plus if you have a friend with one take it out in your environment and see if you like it.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Hmm that makes sense. I'll try it out at the apple store on weekend.

[Village_Idiot]

Also, Office for OS X does not have Access.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Is there a major change in macbook unibody (nor pro) performance with the new processor, for a normal user?
How was the screen in old versions for image processing?

I have seen some good ones on ebay with the previous model. Any views?

[MaxxuM]

Is there a major change in macbook unibody (nor pro) performance with the new processor, for a normal user?
How was the screen in old versions for image processing?

I have seen some good ones on ebay with the previous model. Any views?

Which Mac's are you speaking about? I have several models - the MacBook Pro of early '08 is my personal one, but I have access to others. The '08 model Pro's are excellent all the way around (as laptops go) and get awards and top picks from many reviewers. The MacBooks of '07 are good as well, but I would not get anything before the late '07 model's for photography work with the higher MP cameras of today. The Intel GMA X3100 video card used is 'OK', but not known for being a power house. In truth, the best deal right now is the early '08 MacBook Pro 15.4" 2.5GHz 4GB models. They do a nice job on even the most intensive workflow's (it's the one I have now). There is one drawback on that model though - some have had problems with the Nvidia GPU (burning out) requiring a complete motherboard replacement. Apple has acknowledged this issue and had extended the warranty to two years from the 'birth' or 'purchase' date, whichever is longer (so if you buy one used it should still carry it's extended warranty). They told me it only affected a certain (large) batch of GPU's, but in good faith would extended all warranties. Mine gets REALLY hot when doing intensive work in Final Cut Studio (all programs) - so much so that I literally cannot put my fingers on the portion right under the screen for longer than 5 seconds because it becomes very uncomfortable. It's likely going over 100c, but so far, no issues and I am a VERY heavy user as I do professional video and 3D work almost daily. If it lasts for me it will probably be fine for the average photographer.

If you want specific info on a particular MacBook or MacBook Pro I've used just about all of them (plue PowerBooks aka Titanium) from 2002 and up.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Thanks Maxxum. That was a really good info. I am interested in getting a refurb 2.0GHz unibody macbook. Can you suggest what is the best way to upgrade RAM? Is there a way we can upgrade RAM with apple on refurbs while purchasing?

[MaxxuM]

Thanks Maxxum. That was a really good info. I am interested in getting a refurb 2.0GHz unibody macbook. Can you suggest what is the best way to upgrade RAM? Is there a way we can upgrade RAM with apple on refurbs while purchasing?


Good question. I've never upgraded via the Refurbished store but I don't see any problem with it, but you'd probably have to call them to do so. In the past I just purchased my own memory via Newegg and saved about $50. Apple doesn't overcharge much on memory anymore. It's still a little more but you're paying for the warranty.

[wlescall]

AFIAK, when purchasing a refurbished model, you can't upgrade any of the components. I have been lucky enough to have obtained "upgrades" over the listed specs. I once got an iMac that arrived with a 500 GB HD and better video card. YMMV.

Upgrading RAM on MacBook (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1651)

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Is there any known heating issues with old plastic versions? I am getting a refurbished 2.4GHz model, but I want to know what amount of heat does it produces.

[MaxxuM]

I took one out (early 08 model I believe) and tried it out. It ran pretty cool for about fifteen minutes then started warming up (just idling). It's a laptop and laptops get pretty warm when you run them all out. It gets no where near as hot as my MBP. I don't use them much so I couldn't get any more specific than that. It's warmer than some but on average I think its somewhere in the middle.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Thats great. Thanks for the help MaxxuM. Really appreciate your effort.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

Boy...I just got my macbook (13.3'' unibody 2.0GHz) 2 days back. N guess what today they launched Macbook Pro for the same configuration. any idea what are the differences?
This uncertainity really sucks.. You buy something and the company launches next version, the very next day.

[Tony-S]

I think there's a 14 day return policy. Email them to ask.

[bhardwaj.deepak]

I configured the macbook to upgrade the RAM and Hard Disk (making it 4GB RAM and 250GB HDD). Do you still think I should be able to return it?

[Tony-S]

I don't know - you'll just have to email them.